1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a continuous type electrolytic ionized water producer which continuously produces alkaline ionized water and acid ionized water by electrolyzing city water; in particular, it relates to a rinse means which automatically removes scale which sticks on the electrodes used for electrolysis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The body fluid which accounts for 70% of a human body is similar to the alkaline water which has dissolving power for excreting ejecta in the intestines. Acidic water has sterilizing capability. Use of an electrolytic ionized water producer as a medical substance producer is known to the public and makes it possible to produce alkaline ionized water and acid ionized water directly from drinking water by electrolyzing the water by applying a DC voltage to the positive and negative electrodes. Drinking the alkaline ionized water promotes the health of the people of the present day by improving their acid constitutions caused by their meat eating habits. The acidic ionized water may be utilized as toilet lotion for cleaning the body surfaces.
In an electrolytic ionized water producer, it is necessary to electrolyze flowing water continuously and large sized electrodes are used accordingly; the impurities of positive ions of calcium, magnesium, and so on contained in the water are deposited on a negative electrode as scale. The quantity of the scale increases with the increase in the quantity of water or the period of time, and when the quantity of scale reaches a certain level, the electrolyzing ability is extremely reduced and the electrode itself becomes corroded. In order to remove the scale coated on the electrodes, the polarity of a negative electrode on which scale is coated is switched to positive to dissolve the scale into the water for rinsing away. In accordance with the above-mentioned phenomenon, an electrolytic ionized water producer of the continuous type is offered in which scale is automatically removed by periodical reversal of polarity in which electrolytic operation can be continuous.
As a conventional electrolytic ionized water producer of a continuous type, there is a prior art example disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open No. 273096/87. The ionized water producer according to the prior art comprises an electrolytic bath with electrodes, a pressure switch which is operated by water pressure generated by flow of water into the electrolytic bath, and a control circuit having a voltage application means for applying a DC voltage with a specified polarity corresponding to the operation of the pressure switch. The control circuit reverses the polarity of the DC voltage applied to the electrodes when the integrated period of time of water flow reaches a value which corresponds to a specified quantity of water, and continues the application of the voltage until the pressure switch is turned OFF, after which the polarity of the voltage is returned to its original polarity.
In the case of conventional apparatus, when scale is being removed, if the energizing period of time in the reverse polarity is too short, a sufficient rinse is not performed, and if the period of time is too long the scale can adhere to the other electrode causing a reverse effect, so that a specified total quantity of water to be supplied is set, and when the quantity of water reaches the set value, even while water is being supplied, the polarity of the applied voltage is reversed for scale removing operation, and the water supply is stopped issuing an alarm to the user. Therefore, even when a small quantity of water is needed, the user is required to perform a complicated operation such as to stop supplying water once and after that to start supplying water again. Since the polarity is automatically reversed while water is being supplied, if the operation is stopped late, acid ionized water generated by the reversal of polarity is mixed with the alkaline ionized water. The reverse energizing period of time for the reversal of polarity depends on the period of time till a user stops using water, so that it is difficult to secure a fixed period of time for reverse energizing operation. Therefore, trouble can occur caused by the uncertain period of time for reverse energizing operation. There can be another problem that since the ionized water producer is provided with a pressure switch as a means for integrating the quantity of water, and an alarm means, and so on the configuration can be a complicated one.